For Harshita Gaur, playing Dimpy Pandit in Mirzapur has been more than a career-defining role. Nearly a decade with the character has shaped her as an actor and, she admits, even influenced her as a person. Now taking Dimpy to the big screen, the actress says the journey has also made her more ambitious about the kind of work she wants to explore.“Playing Dimpy in Mirzapur has shaped me as a more mature actor. I knew I was going to be working with people that I had seen and liked on screen. Being around such great actors and technicians helped me understand lenses, lighting and the nuances of dialogues better,” she says.But the character’s influence went beyond acting. “Dimpy is morally correct, decisive, strong and very emotionally balanced. I think Harshita took a lot from Dimpy’s strength and decisiveness because Harshita is not like that. It has also helped me evolve as a human being.”While she is grateful for the opportunities she has received, Harshita believes there is much more she can offer. “Good work takes time and patience, and I have always tried to put in my best. As an actor, you want to perform more. I truly think that I deserve a lot more and that I have a lot more to give. I’m very grateful to have gotten good opportunities, but I’m happy with them, not satisfied.”Looking ahead, she wants to move beyond the action-oriented roles and explore strength through femininity. “I would love to play a woman who is feminine and yet very strong. Strength does not need you to behave in a certain way. You don’t have to take your femininity out of the equation to be strong.”She is also drawn to psychologically challenging characters. “I would also like to explore roles that are mentally challenging,” she adds, signalling a desire to keep pushing herself beyond what audiences already know her for.